Califia creamer bottle pours on the functionality

Califia Farms' line of four non-dairy creamers now offers an easy-grip shape and drip-reducing flip-top lid.

New easy-grip shape and drip-reducing flip-top lid make this bottle the cream of the non-dairy crop when it comes to packaging-driven convenience.

It requires a skillful design that can take an iconic shape and modernize it in a fresh way, yet still tap the brand’s roots. Managers at Califia Farms, Los Angeles, believe they have done exactly that with a new package design introduced in January for the brand’s non-dairy line of creamers. The four-product line features a revamped bottle design and reclosable closure engineered to be consumer friendly.

As with all good designs, consumers were top of mind in the process, which for this line of nut-milk creamers comprises “Millennials, millennial-minded consumers, boomers and anyone who likes to add cream to their coffee, roughly 2/3 of all coffee drinkers, but who want to avoid ingredients such as trans-fat, unhealthy oils, or artificial colors and flavors,” says Vilma Livas, vp of marketing. “We also target the growing number of consumers who opt for dairy-free milks.”

So while it mimics the brand’s rounded bottles, it also brings a slimmer profile to the table. The 750-mL PET bottle is smaller than the brand’s existing 48-oz/1.4L carafes used for the company’s almond milk and is blow-molded with slightly subtler curves.

“We transitioned to a new 750-mL creamer bottle to our line up for a number of reasons,” Livas tells Packaging Digest. “First, we intentionally designed the look of our new creamers bottles to resemble our signature, and award-winning, curvy bottle silhouette, which is credited for revolutionizing the dairy case. Just like our other bottles do, this new creamer bottle will signal to consumers that they are about to have the ultimate ‘Califia’ experience—one that is delicious, premium, plant-powered and clean labeled—pleasing to both the eye and the palate.

“We anticipate consumers will be delighted to find a naturally-flavored, delicious-tasting clean label non-dairy creamer option in their local dairy case. It’s a win for retailers alike who are excited to bring their shoppers something better, something different.”

The package’s performance-packed design was done for consumers’ benefit.

“Our new creamers packaging had to deliver on Califia’s mission to minimize our environmental impact,” says Livas, referencing the company’s use of PET bottles. “We also sought to maximize the consumer’s experience inside and out of the bottle. While we knew our recipes already delivered a delicious, premium taste, we wanted to improve the product experience by helping consumers better control the amount of creamer they added—a key desired consumer benefit.”

The creamer bottle and flip-up lid serve several functional and ergonomic benefits.

“The new bottle is designed with a custom flip-cap that solves the problem of drippage and over- or under-pouring associated with less precise packaging formats,” says Livas. “We wanted it to be both easy-to-use and easy-to-grip, putting the user in control of their perfect coffee-to-cream ratio, or as we say, it allows them to ‘be the captain of their cup’!”

The unique polypropylene easy-pour cap has a one-piece heat induction inner-seal that “provides aggressive bonding with the PET container,” she adds.

When asked about the biggest challenge, Livas responds “that would have to be supplier lead times. With the fast-pace innovation items we’re eager to deliver to our consumers, sometimes we’re forced to ask our suppliers to turn around prototypes quickly. Our flip-top creamer cap took approximately 28 to 30 weeks from conception to introduction.”

Available in Unsweetened, Vanilla, Hazelnut and Pecan Caramel varieties, the products retail for around $4.79.

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